You're Unwelcome, Says Congress After Nitish Kumar Asks Party to Clear Stand on RJD

Patna: The Congress has snubbed JD(U)'s advice to reconsider its association with RJD and ruled out any space for Nitish Kumar in the grand alliance.

After national executive meeting in Delhi on Sunday, the JD(U) had laid down conditions for opening any communication channel with the Congress.

JD(U)’s general secretary KC Tyagi, while referring to appeals made to Nitish to reconsider joining the grand alliance by many Congress leaders, including Bihar in charge Shaktisinh Gohil, said Congress should first make its stand clear over alliance with the “corrupt” RJD.

JD(U) held national executive meeting in Delhi on Sunday.

However, talking to News18 over the phone, Gohil snubbed Tyagi and claimed he never invited Nitish Kumar to join the grand alliance and ruled out any rethink over the alliance with Lalu Yadav's party.

"Fascist Nitish is the most unwelcome man in mahagathbandhan. There is no place for him. Instead of advising us, he should introspect and repent what he has done with himself," Gohil said.

"Our association with RJD is very old and based on ideological commitments. There is no question of rethinking,” he added.

Bihar Congress spokesman Premchand Mishra claimed Nitish Kumar was feeling uneasy with the BJP which is why he is exploring options now.

"Nitish knows BJP will hand him a raw deal and his party men are feeling restless. So he is just trying to bargain for more seats", he said.

The JD(U) on Sunday had offered explanation of why it had exited the grand alliance, placing the blame on the Congress for failing to act against RJD despite allegations of corruption.

“Nitish Kumar had gone to meet Rahul Gandhi and took up the issue of corruption cases with him. Lalu was convicted and cases were registered against his deputy CM son (Tejashwi Yadav). We had expectations from him,” Tyagi said.

Tyagi said that the alliance was ended by the Congress party and not the JD(U). “The lack of initiative against Tejashwi by Rahul Gandhi resulted in the break-up of the alliance,” he added.

The feelers for talks come amidst the strain in ties with the BJP over sharing of seats. Nitish Kumar had last week also called Lalu Yadav, who is in a hospital in Mumbai to enquire about his health. It had given rise to speculation that Kumar is looking to make a re-entry into the grand alliance, but Tejashwi had shut it down, by saying there was no place for him.